Improvement in silvering looking-glasses



I ,J. WEBSTER. Apparatus for Silveri-ng Looking Glasses.

Patented May 8, 1855.

- a JZ v N, PETERS, Phuhrliflwgmphev, WaihinglM.

I tended to receive the glass.

UNITED 7 STATES PATENT OFFICE;

J0EE WEBSTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

lM PRMOVEMENT IN SILVERING LOOKING-GLASSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,840, dated May t3, 1855.

I To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, JOEL WEBSTER, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Apparatus forSilvering Looking- Glasses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying" drawings, forming part of, this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the apparatus ex- Fig. 2 is a section of the same in the same state, and Fig. 3

a section closed with the glass within it.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention is intended for the silvering of the common kindsofglasswhich, by reason of their unevenness of surface, will not bear pressure upon a hard flat table-such as is employed to receive the plate-glassto have the silvering process performed upon it.

The apparatusforming the subject of the invention consists of two tables with elastic faces, one to receive the silvering preparation and the sheet of glass andrthe other to receive and transmit the necessary pressure to the glass. These tables are connected: insuch manner as to facilitate the operation as much as possible.

A A are two tables, which I make of. wood, but which maybe made of other. material.

The tables are ofequalsize, somewhat larger than the largest sheets of glass required to be silvered, and are connected together by hinges B B, so as to lie face .to face or to be thrown apart, as desired. A slight cavity a is made in the face of each, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and by dotted lines in Fig. 1, leaving only a 1 narrow raised margin 6 all around to which to secure a covering cot sheet india-rubber,

. within which a quantity of air is to be confined to form an elastic cushion.

pipe cl communicates betweenthe cavities in the two tables, in order that by forcing air into the cavity of oneltable the cavities of both may be filled and that an equal pressure may always be maintained in both. One 1 table is provided with a suitable nozzle or ties with air, and this nozzle is fitted with a cock or other device by which it may be closedto confine the air.

To silver a sheet of glass the tablesAAare laid apart or opened, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and laid upon any suitable fixed table or bed, and one ofthem is prepared with tinfoil and quicksilver or other preparation in l the same manner as the fiat table employed in silvering plate-glass. The sheet of glass to be silvered is then laid uponthe preparation, and the other table is thrown over upon it, as shown in Fig. 3, where f represents the glass, and the necessary pressure is given to the glass either by Weights placed on the back of the upper table or by drawing the two tables together and securing them by suitable appliances. a

The yielding and elastic characters of the faces of the tables A A will eflectually prevent the breaking of the sheets of glass, however much they may deviate from a plane figure, and at the same time will insure a uniform and proper degree of pressure being given to'every part of the sheet when a suitdescribed.

2. When the requisite elasticity is given to the faces of the tables A A by the employment of an air-packing, connecting the air cavities a a by means of a flexible tube d,as

described, by which meansboth cavities are caused to be filled with air at once and to contain a uniform pressure. p

' l J OEL WEBSTER.

Witnesses: i 4

J AS. GEO. MASON, WILLIAM TUSOH.

mouth-piece e, through which to fill the cavi- 

